A few years ago, I took the crazy but well-discerned decision to study for a 2-year Master's in the remote country of New Zealand, at the antipodes from my home country, Spain. I had met the Movement almost ten years earlier in Barcelona, where the School of Community (SoC) was well-established. So, in February 2023, I embarked on this experience in Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand. The desire behind this radical decision included personal and professional growth, a strong international experience, and, ultimately, strengthening my Faith.

The reality of CL in Auckland differed significantly from the one experienced before. SoC was a fortnightly Zoom call with Matt Young and John Kinder. They are the Responsible for NZ and our Visitor residing in Australia, respectively, and both are "Kiwis". Spiritual Exercises required a yearly flight to Christchurch, in the South Island. Although I was never left alone, after living here for a year and a half I felt isolated and convinced that I had made the wrong decision and that staying in NZ didn't make sense. I even took action by proposing to my friends from the University Catholic student group to read The Religious Sense together, which was unsuccessful. However, the exercises were moments where I truly breathed as I perceived a deep friendship when meeting Matt and John in person, even if I had only seen them on a screen. Meeting the nascent local community was also profoundly moving and a sign of Hope.

In June 2024, in the second Exercises in Christchurch, I told Matt I was leaving for Spain for holidays for six weeks, as I could not stand being in NZ anymore. He always told me, "There is Someone that comes before us, be faithful".

On my return, I was surprised to meet Letizia, an Italian girl my age, who had come to Auckland to pursue her career as a space engineer. What surprised me most was how seriously she took her experience. We both felt the need to organise SoC in person for ourselves. We began in August and invited my friends to share this experience I had previously told them, but they found it hard to understand. But now there were two of us and one that made Himself present. This event was a turning point in my relationship with my friends, which became companionship. This event was far beyond our capabilities, resulting in a community from different cultural and life backgrounds ten months later. It couldn't have been possible without the work of Another.

These third Exercises happened in May 2025. This time, there were three of us who flew to Christchurch to meet with people that, according to human logic, had nothing to do with us: very different ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. However, we all could perceive a strange but meaningful companionship as we lived the same experience. I had been back in Spain in April and I could have attended the Exercises in Barcelona in my own language and at a much cheaper price. However, I chose to wait for the NZ Exercises as I had the certainty that the freshness here made it an easy place to recognize the presence of Christ.

Carlota